Artificial leg



(No Model.)

' J. B. KREIDBR..

ARTIFICIAL LEGl Patented June 2, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JACOB B. KBEIDER, OF ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,285, dated June 2,1891.

Application tiled March ZLS, 1891.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JACOB B. KREIDER, a

citizen of the United- States, residing at Annville, in the county ofLebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Artificial Legs; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the-invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to articia-I legs, and has for its object certainimprovements in construction, which will be hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure l represents a perspective view of my invention; Fig. 2, avertical section; Fig. 3, a similar View of the stirrup; Fig. 4, avertical section of the joint between the upper and lower sections;Figs. 5, 6, '7, and 8, detail perspectives of the several membersforming said joint.

. Reference being had to the drawings andthe letters thereon, Aindicates the upper socket to embrace the thigh of the wearer, and isprovided with an overlapping fold, hooks a a on both sides of the fold,and alacing to adjust the socket to the leg. The hooks a are providedwith two Shanks b b for securing the hook to the leather socket byrivets c to resist the strain brought to bear upon the hooks and preventthem being torn off, as frequently occurs with hooks attached by aneyelet or with a single shank.' To the sides of the socket A are securedbars CZ d, which, together with the socket, form the upper section ofthe artificial leg. The bars d are provided at their lower ends with ahead having tubular conical projections c e on both sides thereof, seatsf f, also on both sides of the bar, and a shoulder g, which forms partof the joint B between the upper and lower sections of the leg. v

C indicates the lower section of the artificial leg, which consists of askeleton frame composed of bars or rods h t' lol, connect-ed at theirupper ends to a ring or band D and at their lower ends to a band E. Theside 'to form brace-rods m m, and to said bars h 7c Serial No. 386,084.(No model.)

are detachably secured the lower ends of the bars n n by screw-bolts 0,and near the upper ends said bars are detachably secured to the ring orband D by screw-bolts p p. The bars n n are provided with annularconical cavities or seats q, which correspond with the conicalprojections c e on one side of the bars d, and in said cavities areconical projections r, which engage wit-h the oppositely-tapercd conicalseats s in the projections e e, and form an oil-chambert between theends of the projections o" and w, as shown in Fig. 4. The chamber t issupplied with oil through an aperture u in the head on the bar d.

E indicates an adjustable cap or plate provided with an annular conicalcavity c and a conical projection yw, which are like the cavity q andprojection r on the end of the bar n, and fit over and in the projectionc and seat s on the opposite side of the bar d. In the wall of eachannular cavity are formed shoulders a b', which engage with the bar dand limit themovement of the joint rearward to an angle of aboutforty-live degrees, the forward movement being further limited by thetwo-,part strap c', secured to the upper and lower sections of the leg.The wall of the cavity at d forms a wearing-surface which engages withthe seats f on the bar d. The cap or plate E is also provided with lugse e', which engage with slots f f in the bar 'n to prevent lateralmovement of the cap, and the cap is secured to and adjusted upon the barn by screws g g, which complete the j ointby holding the several partstogether and take up the wear of the joint B. The space between the barn and the inside of the arm 71. of the cap is filled with thin washersf"which surround the screw g', and are removed separately one at a timeas the joint becomes loose and requires taking up. Then the joint Bbecomes worn out, it can be read- TOC free circulation of air around theend of the stump to prevent chafine.

G indicates the ankle-section, around the upper end of which the band Eis attached, and is secured to the fraaie by a bolt 7n', passing throughthe extensions Z Z of the bars 7L k and the ankle-section, and to theanklesection is attached the foot 1I by a'stirrup I, secured to the endsof the bars Z Z by a transverse steel bolt m', which passes through abrass tube n', forming a journal for the foot to swing upon. 'lhe tube ais detachably secured in the stirrup, so that it can be readily rcmovedwhen worn out.

The stirrup embraces the foot to prevent splitting of the same, and issecured thereto by a bolt o', and the Wear of the journal formed by 'thebolt mf and tube n is taken up by the spring p and rod q. The spring pis seated in a cavity r in the ankle-section, and the rod q is providedwith a head s', which rests upon the upper end of said spring, while thelower end of the rod passes through a slot t in the foot, terminates ina hook u', and engages with a pin o', crossing said slot in a Vcavity @cin the under side of the foot. In the heel of the foot is a socket w',in which rests the rounded head a of a pin b, which enters a spiralspring c in a cavity d in the ankle-section. The spring c forms acushion between the ankle-section and the foot, and, in conjunction withthe spring p', restores the foot to its normal position after eachdisplacement produced by the act of stepping` and the motion of thebody. The foot is further held in proper relation to theankle-section'by the rounded front and rear extensions d e of the ankle,which engage with corresponding parts f lt of the foot.

By the construction shown a neat, light, and durable artificial leg isproduced and is free from any objectionable noise produced in the act ofwalking.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim isl. In anartificial leg, the knee-joint bar secured in the usual way to the uppersocket and to the leg part by a short removable bar attached to thebifurcated framc-bar.

2. In an artificial leg, the joint herein described, consisting of a barhaving a head provided with conical projections on both sides and anoppositelytapered aperture through said head and projections, and abarhaving a conical annular cavity and a conical projection in said cavity,in combination with an adjustable cap or plate provided with a conicalannular cavity and a conical proj ection in said cavity.

3. In an artificial leg, the joint herein described, consisting ot a barhaving a head provided with a conical projection on both sides and anoppositelytapered aperture through said head and projection, and a barhaving a conical annular cavity anda conical projection in saidcavity,in combination with an adjustable plate provided with a conicalcavity and a conical projection in said cavity, and removable washerssupported upon an adj ustin gscrew.

l. In an artificial leg, the adjustable joint herein described,consisting of conical projections and cavities, a detachable plate,Washers supported upon an adj listing-screw, and an oil-chamber withinthe joint.

5. In an artificial leg, the joint herein described, consisting of a barhaving a head provided-with conical projections, seats on both sides ofthe bar, an oppositely-tapered aperture through said head andprojections, a bar having a conical annular cavity and a conicalprojection in said cavity, and shoulders and wearing-surfaces inthe wallof said cavity, in combination with a cap or plate having a conicalannular cavity, a projection in said cavity, and shoulders andwearingsurfaces in the wall of said cavity.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB B. KREIDER. Witnesses:

D. C. REINOHL, WM. E. DYRE.

